ACCA strengthens skills-set for finance professionals

The accounting body- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has said it made changes to its qualifications to reflect skills that employers consider most important for today’s finance professionals.

This, it said, is in line with its strategic objective of shaping the future of the qualification, as it has already rolled out programmes to run its entire foundation levels F1 to F9, through computer based examinations.

This ensures modern skills are incorporated in each stage of examinations- ethics and professional skills module.

The Executive Director, Markets, ACCA, Steve Heathcote, who commended PwC, during a working visit for its role as a lead employer of ACCA in Africa and Nigeria, noted that that the qualifications are fast becoming the toast for the Nigerian professionals.

“ACCA works with PwC on a global basis and also the PwC training arm-the PwC Academy. PwC is largest employer of ACCAs in Africa. ACCA also does a lot of business with PwC globally.

“ACCA is the world’s leading and fastest growing professional body with its 100 country offices, more than 178-country presence and a 200,000-member spread in almost every country now,” he said.

Heathcote added that ACCA’s strength lies in its range of partners from learning providers to employers, with its membership in Nigeria, which is about 2000 has earned it a strategic significance.

The Country Managing Partner, PwC West Africa, Uyi Akpata, while explaining the crucial role of ACCA in the audit company, said that more than 60% of PwC employees choose ACCA as the preferred qualification and 66% of them are in assurance and tax.

Uyi noted that the changes to the ACCA qualification were indeed timely and fits into PwC’s passion for its people to acquire worldclass skills.

“The qualification changes are helpful. Previously, many PwC staff used the ACCA qualification to add international flavor to their qualifications and knowledge and now over 60% of PwC staff want to be ACCA qualified which the company has supported by aligning their aspiration to corporate goals and strategy.

He urged ACCA members in PwC to play more active roles in the global accounting body, which could help bring a uniquely African perspective to learning and development and the profession.